The global class war : how America's bipartisan elite stole our future-- and what it will take to win it back

Acclaim for The Global Class War ""You will never think about 'free trade' the same way after reading Jeff Faux's superb book. As Faux makes clear, the globalization debate is really about whose interests are served by global elites, and how we need to go about reclaiming a democracy that serves ordinary people. This book should transform public discourse in America."" -Robert Kuttner, founding coeditor of the American Prospect and a contributing columnist to BusinessWeek ""Jeff Faux's astonishing story of how class works will scandalize the best names in Wall Street and Washington-especially the much admired Robert Rubin, who along with other elites colluded behind the backs of ordinary citizens in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The most cynical Americans will be shocked by the sordid details. This really is an important book."" -William Greider, author of The Soul of Capitalism and Secrets of the Temple ""Globalization is a cover for American imperialism, but the beneficiaries are not the American people at the expense of foreigners but corporate executives at the expense of working-class and poor people wherever they may be. Jeff Faux offers a comprehensive and devastating analysis."" -Chalmers Johnson, author of The Sorrows of Empire Title Page 6 Copyright Page 7 Dedication 9 Epigraph 10 Acknowledgments 11 Introduction 13 Chapter 1 - NAFTA: Class Reunion 20 Bill Clinton’s Party 20 Trade, But Not Free 24 The GOP Fast Track to Mexico 26 Clinton Hops Aboard 29 The High Price 37 Follow the Money 39 Chapter 2 - “Good Jobs” and Other Global Deceptions 42 Tomatoes or Tomato Pickers? 48 Globalization’s Poster Boy 49 You’re on Your Own 57 Chapter 3 - The Governing Class: America’s Worst-Kept Secret 61 Who Rules? 63 The Governing Class 65 Class Unconsciousness 71 Class as Style 73 The Top Fifty Thousand 75 Breaking into the Ruling Class Is Getting Harder, Not Easier 77 Gaps between Classes 81 Things Change, the Corporation Remains 84 Loyalty to Whom? 87 Chapter 4 - How Reagan and Thatcher Stole Globalization 89 When Both High Wages and High Profits Were in the National Interest 90 The Ruling Class Rebels 93 Reagan’s Intellectual Legacy 97 “There Is No Mindset That Puts This Country First” 100 The Counterrevolution in Mexico and Canada 103 Chapter 5 - A Bipartisan Empire 106 Wall Street Relieves the Sixth Fleet 107 Emerging Markets, Sinking Societies 111 Iraq: Sixth Fleet Politics, Wall Street Economics 115 Chapter 6 - Alan, Larry, and Bob Save the Privileged 123 Class before Country 127 The Committee to Save the World’s Rich and Powerful 131 Socialism for the Rich 132 NAFTA’s “High Yield” Club 134 Chapter 7 - NAFTA: Who Got What? 142 View from the Top 143 Low-Wage Sucking Sound 146 Rural Poverty in Mexico: NAFTA’s Intended Consequence 149 Few Jobs in the City 151 Models of Unreality 155 Voting with Their Feet 157 NAFTA’s Penalty for Mistreating Workers: Nothing 159 Abuse the Environment and Face Publication of a “Factual Record” 162 Democracy Shortchanged 165 Chapter 8 - The Constitution According to Davos 173 We Are the World . . . Wide Investor Class 174 “Anyone Who Thinks the WTO Agreement Expands Free Trade Hasn’t Read It” 176 The Party of Davos 181 American, Global, and Beyond 185 Networking around the Kantian “Catch-22” 188 The Party of Porto Alegre 191 Workers of the World 194 Chapter 9 - America Abandoned 198 The China Price 199 The Outsourcing Canary 201 Abandoning America to the Competition 206 Payback Time 209 Chapter 10 - After the Fall 220 Democratizing the Debate 224 The Continental “We” 226 Continental Politics, Post-September 11, 2001 231 NAFTA II: By Stealth and Panic 234 The NAFTA Trap 235 Chapter 11 - Imagining North America 239 The European Model 242 Newlanders? 246 Who “We” Are 251 Chapter 12 - Toward, and Beyond, a Continental Democracy 255 A North American Model? 256 1. A Continental Economic Bill of Rights 258 2. “Cohesion” Funds for Mexico 262 3. A Common Competitiveness Agenda 263 4. A Citizens’ Continental Congress 265 Continental Class Politics 269 Notes 275 Index 302 EBC,Converted Class warfare, not economic fate or national interest, best explains why Republican and Democratic leaders have encouraged the outsourcing, trade deficits, and energy dependence that are rushing America toward an inevitable decline in living standards. Jeff Faux breaks through the current stale debate with a compelling case for making globalization responsive to democracy, including an inspiring proposal for a radically revised NAFTA. Full of new insights, political drama, and crisp analysis, The Global Class War argues that only by confronting the realities of the global market will Americans as well as the citizens of other nationsgain control of their economic future. Conventional wisdom portrays globalization as competition among countriesAmerica versus Mexico or China or Europe. But today the rich and powerful of every nation have more in common with each other than they do with their fellow citizens who must work for a living. Whats good for General Motorsor Microsoft, Exxon, or Wal-Martis no longer good for America. In The Global Class War, Jeff Faux argues that the politics of the new world market is dominated by a virtual Party of Davos, the globe-trotting network of corporate investor and CEOs and the politicians and journalists who work on their behalf. Clinton and his treasury secretary, Robert Rubin, and Bush and his defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, may use different strategies, but they promote the same globalization agenda in which the benefits go to Americas corporate investorsand the costs are paid by ordinary Americans in outsourced jobs, military casualties, and an unsustainable foreign debt. In The Global Class War, Jeff Faux Argues That The Politics Of The New World Market Is Dominated By A Virtual Party Of Davos, The Globe-trotting Network Of Corporate Investors And Ceos, And The Politicians And Journalists Who Work On Their Behalf. Clinton And His Treasury Secretary, Robert Rubin, And Bush And His Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, May Use Different Strategies, But They Promote The Same Globalization Agenda In Which The Benefits Go To America's Corporate Investors - And The Costs Are Paid By Ordinary Americans In Outsourced Jobs, Military Casualties, And An Unsustainable Foreign Debt. Faux Shows How Nafta, The Wto, And Similar Free-trade Agreements Are Really Deals Among The Global Elite To Rip Up The Social Contract That Allows The Benefits Of Capitalism To Be Broadly Shared. As The First Secretary-general Of The Wto Admitted, They Make Up The Constitution Of A Single Global Economy. Its Bill Of Rights Protects Just One Citizen - The Large Transnational Corporation.--jacket. Nafta : Class Reunion -- Good Jobs And Other Global Deceptions -- The Governing Class: America's Worst-kept Secret -- How Reagan And Thatcher Stole Globalization -- A Bipartisan Empire -- Alan, Larry, And Bob Save The Privileged -- Nafta : Who Got What? -- The Constitution According To Davos -- America Abandoned -- After The Fall -- Imagining North America -- Towards, And Beyond, A Continental Democracy. Jeff Faux. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 255-271) And Index. Acclaim for The Global Class War

You will never think about 'free trade' the same way after reading Jeff Faux's superb book. As Faux makes clear, the globalization debate is really about whose interests are served by global elites, and how we need to go about reclaiming a democracy that serves ordinary people. This book should transform public discourse in America.
-Robert Kuttner, founding coeditor of the American Prospect and a contributing columnist to BusinessWeek

Jeff Faux's astonishing story of how class works will scandalize the best names in Wall Street and Washington-especially the much admired Robert Rubin, who along with other elites colluded behind the backs of ordinary citizens in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The most cynical Americans will be shocked by the sordid details. This really is an important book.
-William Greider, author of The Soul of Capitalism and Secrets of the Temple

Globalization is a cover for American imperialism, but the beneficiaries are not the American people at the expense of foreigners but corporate executives at the expense of working-class and poor people wherever they may be. Jeff Faux offers a comprehensive and devastating analysis.
-Chalmers Johnson, author of The Sorrows of Empire

"You will never think about free trade' the same way after reading Jeff Faux's superb book. This book should transform public discourse in America."--Robert Kuttner, author of "Everything for Sale". America is in serious economic trouble, but don't expect our leaders to do anything about it. Thanks to globalization, America's rich and powerful, now have more in common with the governing classes of other nations than they have with ordinary Americans. In "The Global Class War", economic commentator Jeff Faux explains the way both Democratic and Republican leaders have used so-called trade agreements to write a new global constitution that protects only one kind of citizen, the corporate investor. With the U.S. economy about to drown in a sea of rising red ink and American corporations relentlessly outsourcing our jobs and technology, a deep economic crisis is in the cards. Jeff Faux concludes this blistering expose with a convincing vision of a prosperous and democratic North America that could benefit every American, not just those at the top. Jeff Faux (Washington, DC) is principal founder and President Emeritus of the Economic Policy Institute NAFTA : class reunion "Good jobs" and other global deceptions Governing class, America's worst kept secret How Reagan and Thatcher stole globalization A bipartisan empire Alan, Larry, and Bob save Mexico - and the world NAFTA equality : all workers lose The constitution according to Davos America's financial house of cards Redefining our future : a new continental "we"? Imagining North America Towards a continental union. Content: NAFTA : class reunion -- "Good jobs" and other global deceptions -- The governing class : America's worst kept secret -- How Reagan and Thatcher stole globalization -- A bipartisan empire -- Alan, Larry, and Bob save the privileged -- NAFTA : who got what? -- The constitution according to Davos -- America abandoned -- After the fall -- Imagining North America -- Toward and beyond, a continental democracy.